1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pillows, and more particularly to light-weight pillows that can be rolled up and easily carried to the desired locations, such as recreational areas.
Specifically, the invention provides a small light-weight portable and rollable pillow filled inside with spreadable and compressible resilient material which is easily compressed and allows the pillow to be rolled up for travelling or storage and yet when the pillow is spread out the pillow resumes its regular shape, said pillow having a plurality of strap means a portion of which are firmly attached inside the pillow and the remaining ends appear outside the pillow and are adapted to being used to tie around the pillow in its rolled up condition, and said handle means outside the pillow being adapted to act as a handle to carry the pillow when in the unrolled condition.
The invention further provides a process for using the new pillows which comprises laying out the pillow, width-wise rolling up the pillow to a small roll and then using the strap means to tie up the roll. The roll can then be carried by holding to the ends of the strap means. To unroll the pillow the strap means are then untied and the pillow falls out as a regular pillow.
In special occasions when one does not want the pillow rolled, the pillow can be easily carried in that position by the strap means acting as a handle for the pillow.
Department stores and bedding supply departments commonly supply consumers with pillows of regular, queen or king sized pillows. These sizes are very inconvenient for travelling, camping or recreational use. They are particularly unsuited for use when travelling long distances in buses, etc. or for recreational use when the pillow is taken to the football stadium, etc. Such pillows are unsuited for such purposes as they are very bulky, bunglesome and heavy. These common pillows are not readily adaptable for many recreational events, such as camping, backpacking, sunbathing, picnicing, boating and traveling because of the aforementioned limitations.
2. Prior Art
Various people have tried to solve this problem by creating pillows of various and sizes but they have all been useless. Most of the suggested pillows have been inflatable, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,277,859, 4,712,259. These pillows feel differently than the usual pillow and are further susceptible to puncture or leakage due to the application of too much pressure which would contribute to the lack of comfort for those using the pillows. U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,247 provides an arrangement wherein a pillow is placed within an outercover to be rolled up and then taken out of the cover for use. This presents the disadvantage of keeping the outer cover during use of the pillow and the need to compress the air out of the cover before use. U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,026 and U.S. Pat. No. 257,200 disclose a pillow joined in half as to make two side of the pillow with a joint in between. This type of pillow is of little use because the head is usually placed in the center of the pillow and this would place the head directly on the hard joint between the side pillows and give little comfort.
It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a practical portable pillow that can solve the above-noted difficulties. It is a further object to provide a rollable portable pillow that doe snot need to be inflated before use. It is a further object to provide a one piece pillow that can be used without being taken out of another cover. It is a further object to provide a one piece pillow that is not divided in the middle. It is a further object to provide a portable rollable light-weight pillow that can be easily carried rolled or unrolled to the place where needed. It is a further object to provide a rollable portable pillow that is small in size and similar to the regular sized pillows used for this purpose. It is a further object to provide a pillow that can be tucked away under a car seat or other small place while it is being transported. It is a further object to provide a small rolled pillow that can be used by a backpacker and which an be easily attached to his belt or other carrying means. It is a further object to provide a pillow that can be easily carried to a sporting event and used as a stadium cushion. It is a further object to provide a light weight water resistant pillow that can be taken to a pool or beach without worry of getting it wet. It is a further object to provide a new type of pillow that can be carried on a bicycle or attached to a stroller or picnic basket without causing any inconvenience and problem of carrying. It is a further object to provide a new type of portable light weight pillow that can be made in a great variety of shapes and still accomplish its stated purpose. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.